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@@facebro29 MrKelly did mine but the level of care there is great I was incredibly well looked after

Hey @@_Kate_ I'm in Wiltshire too - small world @@facebro29 my sleeve was at Spire Southampton, if by any chance that is where you're going they are brilliant

I went to a spa earlier in the week and it's the first time I was confident enough in myself to have a massage and I'd seriously recommend it to anyone - it was absolutely lush

I have to sympathise with the feeling cold thing, I am terminally freezing and wear more layers of clothes than ever before and yes I also have bony butt and general overall bonyness but I wouldn't change it for anything.

@@chycky it's been pretty awesome, trust in what you are doing I saw little things change every day, if I wrote down all of the amazing things I have experienced this year both indirectly and directly related to the change in weight I think I'd have to write a book Good luck on your journey and be sure to enjoy every victory however small it seems.

Thanks for all of your responses, it's been really reassuring to me that there really is no right answer. I'm planning to carry on until my weight settles on its own.

I wasn't quite over 400lbs, I started out at 392, so hope you don't mind me posting I was sleeved 1st October 2015 and so far I've lost 239lbs. This has been an amazing journey for me and I still get surprised by new things every day I hope you enjoy the same success as I have it's one of the best feelings ever

I started out at 67.3 and am now 26.3, still a little way to go, it'll be one year post surgery next Saturday

Thank you, your comment has given me some confidence that I'm not going nuts - I lurk around this forum and was very conscious that the vast majority of people could tell you exactly what weight they want to be so I guess that's why I begun to question it some more. I'll be at the top of the healthy BMI range for my height in 7lb, that'll be a whole new experience. I guess my current plan is to carry on and see what my body wants to do and not get too hung up on the number. Thanks again

I have to confess the most embarrassing experience was the second yoga class I attended where I lost my balance spectacularly and hit the floor with an almighty thud - funnily enough everyone looked in my direction to my surprise I git back up shrugged it off and started back (maybe concentrating on my balance a little more)

Clothes sizes are insane, shopping drives me to distraction trying to guess what size I might want to buy. I've recently ventured back into the older children's section as they seem to fit quite well, but I think the same as the others in the beginning it took a while to drop a clothes size but now it can take as little as two weeks to drop a size. Go to the shop and just pick up loads of clothes to try on - you might get a pleasant surprise

Thanks for that, I self funded here and it certainly wasn't the cheapest option but it was a conscious choice but you've offered me some other options to reconsider because I have quite an extensive schedule of work on my wish list (I can't call it entirely a need list in clear conscience) and any reduction in cost will make it significantly more achievable

Probably have it done over here to be honest, the cost is obscene but it feels like quite a big procedure to embark on without the safety net of being at home. I have chatted to my husband about the possibility of heading to Europe but I'm not entirely comfortable with the idea so it's pretty unlikely to go that way. Have you considered travelling for the surgery?

I'm just under a year out now and I'm almost permanently cold, that being said I'll take that minor inconvenience as everything else is good

I'm definitely expecting to follow this path although I think I'm going to wait for a while I'm in an odd situation as I don't really know what my goal weight is yet although I don't think it's too far away, that said I think I'm going to hit the gym hard for a few months and tone as much as I can before I go for it

I'm in the UK, I very rarely post on the location specific boards but do wander everywhere else.

I was back in my pjs as soon as I was able to move post op it was so much more comfortable and easier and a bit more dignified to wander around too

I haven't posted for ages but the last few days have really reminded me why I made the choice to take this path in life - I was sleeved October 15 I haven't flown in several years but my husband and I went away with a couple of friends for a break this week, I had my standard apprehension about seats and seat belts the embarrassment of asking for an extender not fitting in the seat, things I guess lots of people on here think regularly. But it was all in my head I sat in the middle seat and had more space than I needed a spare foot of seatbelt after it was fastened and while we were away I realised everything in my bag was fitted and fitted me properly, I could sit wherever I felt like and I walked for miles with absolutely no effort - although I did find myself waiting for the others quite a bit, apparently I move quite quickly now There have been lots of other adventures and NSVs over the months since the sleeve but this one somehow seems bigger, some weeks I could probably find something to post every other day. This is an amazing journey I would love to be able to share my good fortune and excitement with everyone that posts on here, as there is nothing bad I can say about my experiences so far.

I'm interested to see the responses to this one too, unfortunately I cannot offer much information but I do have a relative with Crohns going through the health screening process now, after discussion it seems the sleeve is most suitable in her situation due to the amount of joins/stitch points and it seems you are in a similar medical condition shrinkingkimber. All the best on your journey it'd be great to hear how you're progressing.

The raised D-dimer may well be a response to the infection, they can be elevated by inflammatory processes as well as the thrombotic states they are often used in the diagnosis of. Glad they have ruled out a PE as the cause of the elevation, hope your health improves soon.

I'm not sure what normal is, but I was sleeved 1st October and have absolutely no hunger - I eat mainly by knowing what times I should eat to keep my day balanced.

I got the sleeve on 1st October, my starting weight was higher than yours and including my pre-op weight loss I am 108lbs down. I discussed the bypass and the sleeve with my surgeon but opted for the sleeve due to my lifestyle as I spend a lot of time travelling and in hotels so have limited control of what I eat ultimately always make the best possible choices but not always brilliant and the concern was if I would be able to manage the bypass as there is a distinct possibility of more sensitivity to different foods. Ultimately the person best to guide you is your surgeon, they have all the facts about your situation and should help you make an informed decision on what is best for you. Whatever your decision I wish you all the best on your journey, I personally have no regrets and feel it is one of the most significant decisions I have ever made for myself I wouldn't change a thing.

I entirely agree with everyone else on this thread - I would be totally livid if this happened to me, but we do have to accept that people do make mistakes (even if they are huge) and that you made the decision to have surgery for a reason don't allow someone else's mistake to damage the future you are choosing for yourself. Ultimately once you have had surgery and are feeling more confident and comfortable you may choose to share your decision with a few more people, that's your choice, I'm just speaking from experience now as I made similar choices around sharing information with others pre-op but have now chosen to speak to five or six close friends regarding my decision and reasons and I am lucky everyone is 100% supportive and encouraging. Concentrate on why you have chosen to do this and what you want to achieve, confidentiality breaches are wrong but it can't be taken back and you have so much more to lose (possibly in more ways than one) to allow this to affect your entire future, if people do find out and ask you about it, be brave and tell the truth, say it was a mistake or anything you like - it's nobody else's business just do what's best for you.

I hope nobody minds me sharing, I'm still very early in my journey - my first appointment was two months and two days ago, my surgery was five days ago and since the start of this process as of today I am 50lbs down, 10lbs since surgery. I still have a long way to go but felt I wanted to share this small victory as I have found reading all of your posts inspiring and hope this may help another embarking on this brave journey.

What a great post, congratulations to you and Dave I hope this journey allows you many more wonderful years together.